Deidara and Gaara were locked in a fierce battle in the air. The Third Kazekage's puppet, lacking Sasori's agile control, could only instinctively manipulate iron sand to counterattack, and was trapped by Temari and the others using a series of ninjutsu, including Wind Release.
For a moment, a large gap appeared between Chiyo and Sasori, turning it into an alternative arena duel mode.
“I should have taught you this, Scorpion, that even a puppeteer needs a partner.”
Chiyo manipulated the two puppets to attack Hiruko, her voice filled with self-reproach.
"Let this incompetent old woman teach you the puppeteer's fighting style one more time!"
Sasori's voice, unusually trembling, rang out as he watched the puppet lunge at him. "I know the puppeteers' fighting style very well. It's just that the puppetry skills of the Sand Village haven't improved at all; they're still using the puppets I left behind."
Hiruko swung her long steel tail, forcefully forcing back the two puppets. Perhaps out of some concern, Sasori didn't urge the puppet to continue its attack, but instead allowed Chiyo's puppet to retreat completely.
"There's no need to use such outdated puppets. Show us your true skills."
Hiryu Amber - Needle Eight Waves.
Scorpion, controlling the head of the Hiruko puppet, pointed it at Chiyo and suddenly opened its mouth to spew out lightning-fast, countless poisonous needles and stingers.
"Machine-Light Shield Seal"
Chiyo pulled at her fingers, and two puppets quickly appeared in front of her, extending their hands side by side. A chakra shield instantly appeared, blocking Sasori's attack.
“Sometimes outdated things can be very meaningful; at least I, as an old lady, miss them a lot.”
Chiyo's fingers flew like petals, leaving afterimages as she controlled the two puppets in an attack. The seemingly ordinary puppets were actually quite capable, their attacks were incredibly varied and skillful, and they could use a variety of weapons such as samurai swords, chain blades, and steel wires to launch attacks from tricky and dangerous angles.
Meanwhile, Sasori was not at a disadvantage at all, and he fought to a standstill with Elder Chiyo.
Under his control, the puppet displayed a different kind of prowess. The prosthetic arm's thousand-gun machine gun sprayed out a continuous stream of poisonous needles, fast and small in size, denser than raindrops. The tail spikes on its back could extend and retract freely, wrapping around, stabbing, and swinging, launching attacks from all sorts of unexpected angles.
In front of a group of Sand Ninja, Chiyo and Sasori displayed a series of dazzling puppeteer battles.
Kankuro, who was originally very confident in his puppet control abilities, was now sweating profusely as he watched.
"Is this the power of Sasori, the village's former genius? It's really strong. And Elder Chiyo too, I never expected that she could still control the puppets so well at her age."
I feel like I can't participate in their fight at all; even just getting close could result in an inexplicable death.
"Heh, now you know you can't underestimate your senior's strength, huh?"
The Jonin with the masked faceplate directed the Sand Ninja to form a tighter encirclement around the perimeter, then stepped forward to observe the battle.
Upon hearing Kankuro's shocked words, he stared at the battlefield with a solemn expression and said, "This is just the beginning. They are only warming up. They haven't used their truly powerful methods yet."
You have no idea of the true strength of the puppeteers and genius puppet makers who emerged from the battlefields of the Ninja World War.
"Die! Wind Release: Rending Wind Palm!"
Seeing Elder Chiyo and Sasori locked in a stalemate, an unnamed Sand Ninja, whose family member had died in the Third Shinobi World War, impulsively lunged at Sasori, seeking revenge.
But just as he reached halfway, his hand, still outstretched with the hope of revenge, suddenly collapsed. As he fell stiffly to the ground, a smile of impending revenge still lingered on his face. Then his complexion turned pitch black, and black, poisonous blood slowly seeped from his seven orifices.
"Don't come any closer! The air and the iron sand scattered on the ground are all poisonous!"
Chiyo saw Sand Ninja rushing towards their deaths and, while nervously controlling her puppet to attack, couldn't help but shout at them to stop.
The masked man realized what was happening and saw a tiny, almost invisible spike embedded in the sole of the fallen Sand Ninja's shoe. It was this spike that had killed a Chunin.
Masked Man remembered that Sasori of the Red Sand had just used his puppet to spray out more than a thousand poisonous stingers and needles. This realization made Masked Man break out in a cold sweat. He quickly raised his hand to stop the Sand Ninja who wanted to continue to die.
"All Sand Ninja, stay away from the area where Elder Chiyo and the enemy are fighting. Remain on the perimeter and be ready to intercept and provide support at any time. Crossbow squads, prepare in shifts!"
"It seems that the Sand Village's level is still so poor. No wonder they have suffered repeated defeats when fighting against other ninja villages, and they can't even protect their own family members."
While controlling his puppet to fight Chiyo, Sasori still had the energy to taunt the Sand Ninja watching from the sidelines.
"Humans are not puppets. Even the most incompetent person can still improve. But puppets lose the opportunity to change themselves!"
Chiyo's puppet was already in dire straits under Hiruko's attacks. After all, Hiruko's shell had amazing defensive capabilities, and Chiyo's attacks could often be ignored. Sasori focused most of his energy on offense.
If it weren't for some inexplicable feelings she still harbored for the father and mother puppets controlled by Chiyo, those two puppets would probably have been destroyed long ago.
"You've lectured me too much already, and I have no interest in listening to any more. Since our philosophies are irreconcilable, let's prove it with actions."
Scorpion manipulated Hiruko's long tail to swirl and fly, its sharp and hard tail shattering the weapons of the two puppets one by one, and for a moment Chiyo was at a complete disadvantage.
"Grandma Chiyo, your puppetry skills are still the same as before. Let's end this boring game here."
"I'm going to meet up with the Third Kazekage's human puppet. Next, I will demonstrate the true power of the fully-formed human puppet under my control—a level of puppetry that will surpass your understanding!"
After suppressing Elder Chiyo, Sasori did not pursue further. Instead, he manipulated the puppet to walk towards the Third Kazekage's puppet, which was being besieged several hundred meters away. It was too difficult for an uncontrolled puppet to fight against the Sand Village's elites based on instinct alone. Sasori worried that if he arrived any later, the puppet would be captured by the Sand Village ninja.
"Cao Xiren"
As Sasori manipulated Hiruko's long tail to intercept the attack and began to move, Chiyo suddenly launched a series of kunai with her silk threads while controlling the puppet. These kunai seemed to have eyes, wedging themselves into the joints of Hiruko's long tail, and then the silk threads wrapped around the kunai, making them even more tightly wedged.
"Technology shouldn't just be about being new; it's about being useful!"
Elder Chiyo's tone carried a hint of preaching and expectation.
Despite the situation, Sasori remained calm and composed, manipulating the puppet to turn around and face Chiyo.
"Heh, so what? Hiruko's strength is far more than that, and besides, I have more than one Hiruko! Now, let me use a bit of my power..."
As Scorpion paused, something like a shooting star suddenly descended from the sky, heading straight for Hiruko!
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